Resources for Diverse Learners

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I worked with ISeeChange, a community weather and climate change journal, to coordinate data collection, research, and evaluation of a citizen science project on nuisance flooding in New Orleans. This project was part of the Adaptations artist residency at Tulane Univsersity’s A Studio in the Woods.

In the summer of 2018, the city of New Orleans had plans to add water storage to the Gentilly neighborhood to alleviate flooding, but public meetings on this issue are inconvenient or impossible for most people to attend. The Adaptations team wanted to find creative ways to engage folks who have a lot to say, but don’t yet have the attention of the planners and city officials who need to hear their place-based expertise.

My collaborators and I developed a four-question survey and simple signage to collect people's observations of flood spots in their neighborhood. We installed the boxes at local businesses, including a nail salon, barber shop, laundromat, restaurant, dollar store, and coffee shop. The data collected from this phase of the project helped identify areas for further investigation and creative expression in a series of co-created works that communicate local knowledge, encourage data-collection and observation by residents, and facilitate public understanding of and participation in public process.